How can I predict if I am having a boy or girl?

Your best friend swears your bump is so pointy you are obviously having a girl, while your mum keeps telling you that you are 'carrying low' (whatever that means) and are sure to be expecting a boy – but is there really any way of knowing?

At a glance

A sonographer can tell you your baby's gender at your anomaly scan

You can never be 100% sure until your little one arrives

Have fun guessing with some of the old wives tales listed

Truth is, unless you ask the sonographer to find out the sex of your baby at your scan (and it is very unlikely they will be able to tell before your anomaly scan at 18-21 weeks anyway), you've really got no way of knowing for sure until d-day (because even sonographers sometimes get it wrong!) – but that doesn't mean you can't have a bit of fun guessing with a few old wives' tales.

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Via your wedding ring
Yep, really. You need to hold it over your bump on a thread, and if you are expecting a boy it will move back and forth, if it's a girl it will move in circles. Apparently.

The Chinese birth calendar
The Chinese birth calendar 'works' by predicting your baby's sex based on your Chinese lunar age at conception, and the lunar month in which you conceived your child. Google it to put it to the test.

Your baby's heart rate
Next time your midwife checks your baby's heart rate, make a note of the figures – rumour has it, if it is under 140 beats per minute, it is definitely a boy. If it's faster, it's a girl. We wouldn't necessarily base our nursery colour scheme on this prediction...

Midwives used to routinely check baby's heartbeat at the 16 week check but don't anymore as it can be hard to hear and might cause additional stress. But, if she doesn't listen later in your pregnancy, you can always ask.

Skull theory
Oooh, a science based one, so it must be true, right? Er, no. But to try it, you'll need to consult your ultrasound pics and check your baby's head shape. Boys apparently have larger, 'blockier' foreheads, while girls' are rounder. This prediction might also effect any purchases you make in advance for your newborn.

You've got a lovely little...

Probably the most accurate of them all – the moment you meet your baby for the first time and get to know for certain (although we all surely know of at least ONE dad who mistook the umbilical cord for a willy!)

Despite all the theory out there, the fact is and most importantly, following your pregnancy you'll have a little bundle of joy to love and cherish and the arrival of your baby is one of the most precious moments you'll experience.

Whether you have a baby boy or baby girl, why not try our baby name generator following the gender prediction theories and have some more fun planning the perfect baby name for when your baby arrives.